GoldenEye (1995)
It’s sentimental favorite time here at Hot Toasty Rag. GoldenEye is the best James Bond movie ever. I excuse my sentimental statement for two reasons: One, because everyone believes the actor who portrayed James Bond when they were kids was the best and will never be equaled. Two, because I really haven’t seen another 007 movie that was better than the first I watched. I’ll never forget going to the movie theaters on Thanksgiving weekend to see it with my family. Since my previous movie theater outings were Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, going to see a real-people movie was a big deal. I thought Pierce Brosnan was so handsome, he wasn’t a real person: he must be a Ken doll brought to life and put up on the big screen.
With no knowledge that the 007 movies were a series, the opening credits and classic theme were magical. The first “Bond, James Bond”, the first martini, the introduction of each spy gadget... Pierce Brosnan was the perfect Bond; even those who grew up with someone else and feel obliged to name him as their favorite readily admit to the ’90s Bond as the second-best. Even though I’ve seen him in a million other movies, he’ll always be James Bond. He’s just too classy, handsome, charming, and perfect to be anybody else. And, to this day, whenever I see Sean Bean in the opening credits of a movie I say, “Oo, it’s 006!” I’m sure it’s not how these fine actors wish to be remembered, but that’s what sentimentality does.
From an un-sentimental perspective, GoldenEye is pretty hilarious. And James Bond movies are supposed to be charmingly humorous, aren’t they? The Russians are the bad guys, the click of a pen can destroy the world, and the villainess finds beating people up an aphrodisiac. But when you’re not chuckling, you can appreciate the awesome action sequences, the introduction of Judi Dench as M, and the adorable Izabella Scorupco as the Bond girl. How adorable is her haircut (and how ’90s)? Ever since I saw this movie, I wanted to cut my hair; but I had to wait ten years before my parents let me. If you haven’t seen GoldenEye in a while, get out your old VHS copy and pop it in the VCR. Retro night comin’ right up!
More Judi Dench movies here!
With no knowledge that the 007 movies were a series, the opening credits and classic theme were magical. The first “Bond, James Bond”, the first martini, the introduction of each spy gadget... Pierce Brosnan was the perfect Bond; even those who grew up with someone else and feel obliged to name him as their favorite readily admit to the ’90s Bond as the second-best. Even though I’ve seen him in a million other movies, he’ll always be James Bond. He’s just too classy, handsome, charming, and perfect to be anybody else. And, to this day, whenever I see Sean Bean in the opening credits of a movie I say, “Oo, it’s 006!” I’m sure it’s not how these fine actors wish to be remembered, but that’s what sentimentality does.
From an un-sentimental perspective, GoldenEye is pretty hilarious. And James Bond movies are supposed to be charmingly humorous, aren’t they? The Russians are the bad guys, the click of a pen can destroy the world, and the villainess finds beating people up an aphrodisiac. But when you’re not chuckling, you can appreciate the awesome action sequences, the introduction of Judi Dench as M, and the adorable Izabella Scorupco as the Bond girl. How adorable is her haircut (and how ’90s)? Ever since I saw this movie, I wanted to cut my hair; but I had to wait ten years before my parents let me. If you haven’t seen GoldenEye in a while, get out your old VHS copy and pop it in the VCR. Retro night comin’ right up!
More Judi Dench movies here!